Mail-bag delivery.



I PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. 'J. W. HARHAY.

MAIL BAG DELIVERY. APPLIOATION FILED IAY4. 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

JOSEPH W. HARHAY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES H.HERRICK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MAIL-BAG- DELIVERY.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed May 4,1907. $eria1No. 371,856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .Tosnrn W. HARHAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Delivery, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention is a mail bag delivery apparatus, designed especially tobe carried on a car, and to support and deliver mail bags while thetrain is in motion, by means of a latch-operated device which supportsthe bags at the end of an arm projecting from the car and which will betripped by a projection or obstacle located at the station where thebags are to be dropped.

A feature of the invention is that a plurality of bags may be supportedand released at the saine time by the operating mechanisms.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a side elevation of the apparatus as applied to a mail car.Fig. 2 is an end view showing the parts set, ready to be tripped. Fig. 3is an end view showing the latch tripped. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewof the tripping post and receiving platform.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 indicates an arm pivotallycarried upon the side of the car 39 by means of socket pieces 9 fixed tothe side of the car. At the outer end the arm has a head 18 which isoffset laterally at the bottom and recessed at the corner or angle toreceive the ball 14 at the end of a finger 6, which extends through arecess 28 formed in the head at said angle, and which allows the fingerto swing freely up and down.

A latch 22 is pivoted at 13 to a knuckle 17 fixed to the top of thehead, the knuckle having a stud 25 which extends through a hole in thehead and held by a cotter 7, and the knuckle is held in proper positionand prevented from turning by means of pins 33 at each side thereof. Thelatch is angular in shape, and at its lower end has a hole 12 whichreceives the free end of the finger 6, said latch resting in a notch 23on the under side of the finger to prevent accidental disengagement. Thelatch piece 22 has an upstanding arm 15 extending from the pivoted endthereof and projecting above the supporting arm 10. This arm 15 isarranged to strike an arm 38 projecting from a post 30 set at thestation, and under or beyond the post is a curved receiving platform 36to receive the bags when they are dropped, the platform having a closedside 32 to prevent the bags rolling or being drawn onto the track.

The arm 10 is conveniently set near the door of the mail car so as toswing in or out therefrom, and when swung out it may be supported by abrace rod 16. When swung in the bags can be conveniently put in place bythe mail clerk at the door. Hooks 29 are used to support the bag, andthese hooks have loops 24 which will it over the finger 6.

In use, the bags to be delivered at any particular station are placedupon the finger 6 before the said station is reached. Then the finger isengaged by the latch 22 and the arm then swung out from the side of thecar. The trip arm 38 is located in proper position to strike the arm 15as the car passes, and when so struck it throws up the latch, asindicated in Fig. 3, thereby releasing the front end of the finger andallow- .ing the same to swing down and drop the bags onto the platformshown in Fig. 4.

The same devices, with slight modifications, may be used to deliver themail to a moving train, by supporting the arm and latch on a post or thelike at the station and providing the car with a tripper and with acatcher or receptacle of some kind which will pass under the bags andreceive the same as they are dropped. The finger 6 will be made longenough to hold a number of hooks and so support several mail bags forsimultaneous delivery.

1 claim:

1. In a mail bag delivery apparatus, in combination, a supporting arm, adrop finger connectedat one end thereto, and a latch pivoted to the endof the arm and supporting when latched the free end of the finger andhaving a projection adapted to strike an obstacle beside the track andrelease the finger.

2. In a mail bag delivery apparatus, in combination, a supporting armhaving at the end thereof a head with an angular or oflset portion atthe bottom, the angle being slotted, a drop finger extending through theslot and hav ing an enlargement resting on said angular portion, a latchpivoted to the top of the head and extending outwardly and downwardlyand cngageable with the free end of the finger to support the same, andan arm projecting upwardly from the latch and adapted to strike anobstacle beside the track and release the finger.

3. In a mail bag delivery apparatus, in combination, a supporting armhaving at the end thereof an ofiset por tion, with a recess and slot atthe angle, a finger extend ing through the slot and having a ball at oneend, in the recess and a notch under the other end an angular latchpivoted at one end to the upper part of the head and having a hole inthe lower end in which the free end of the finger is engageahle, and astrike-arm projecting upwardly from the latch and arranged to hit anobstacle beside the track and release the finger.

In testimony whereof I do afiix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH W. I-IARIIAY.

Witnesses JOHN A. BOMMHARDT, Enrrn D. COMER.

